Santa Maria in Vepretis (San Ginesio)
Santa Maria in Vepretis (San Ginesio)
- Type
- Church
- Municipality
- San Ginesio (MC)
Source: site database, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Santa Maria in Vepretis is a Baroque church in San Ginesio, in the province of Macerata, protected as a cultural heritage site. For centuries it was linked to a convent that housed different religious orders, from the Cistercians to the friars of San Francesco Caracciolo, who stayed until 1990. After the 2016 earthquake it remained closed for a long time: before visiting, check whether it is open.
On the map
Points from the site database. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors · Protomaps.
The history of Santa Maria in Vepretis
It is a medieval church, documented after 1290 and renovated in 1608 by Cardinal Giovanni Evangelista Pallotta. The convent was occupied in turn by Cistercians, Benedictines, Observant Franciscans, Dominicans and, in the 17th century, the Friars of San Francesco Caracciolo. They were entrusted with teaching philosophy and promoting the sciences and letters among the townspeople.
The complex also had a civic role. From 1292 the physicians of the Collegio dei Dottori met here, and in 1720 Father Giraldi founded the Accademia degli Stellati here, devoted to the study of the sciences and letters. The old convent later became the town hospital.
The 2016 sequence of earthquakes damaged the church. On February 27, 2017 the works of art and valuable objects kept inside were removed.
What to see at Santa Maria in Vepretis
The brick façade is divided into two horizontal bands: the lower one has a quadrangular portal, the upper one a window. On the left rises the bell tower, which ends in an octagonal spire.
The interior has a single nave with a trussed roof and six side chapels. The altar is framed by two Corinthian columns, with stuccoes and sculptures by Cipriano Morelli. The presbytery held a walnut choir and an altarpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin, attributed to Carlo Maratta. Since their removal in 2017, these works are no longer in the church.
How to visit Santa Maria in Vepretis
After the 2016 earthquake the church remained closed for a long time. Before setting out, ask the San Ginesio tourist office whether there is any news about its reopening.
Where Santa Maria in Vepretis is located
The church is in San Ginesio, inside the town walls, near Porta Picena. Nearby are the RSA (care home) and ASUR (health authority) offices, housed in the town hospital, which was once the convent.
Around Santa Maria in Vepretis
San Ginesio is nicknamed "the town of 100 churches". On Piazza Alberico Gentili stands the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta, damaged by the 2016 earthquakes. A few kilometers from the town, in the hamlet of Macchie, is the Abbazia di Santa Maria delle Macchie, described on the page about the Abbey of Santa Maria delle Macchie (San Ginesio). Other religious buildings in the area are on the page about the churches of the Sibillini Mountains.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Santa Maria in Vepretis?
Which religious orders lived in the convent?
What happened to the church's works of art?
What style is Santa Maria in Vepretis?
Nearby
What to see nearby
- Giacomo Leopardi Municipal TheaterTheater or auditorium300 m
- 300 m
- "Scipione Gentili" Museum and Art Gallery (San Ginesio)Museum or art gallery300 m
Where to stay
- under 100 m
- La Casetta, San GinesioTourist accommodation100 m
- 300 m
Where to eat
- Mangia & Gusta di Bordi Eraldo, San GinesioButcher and pork products200 m
- Pizzeria La Fornarina, San GinesioRestaurant200 m
- Bar Pizzeria Le Logge, San GinesioBar and café300 m
Straight-line distances.